St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-20
On Land Reform Formulated and Forni-
ally Announced by No Less Per-
sOnage Than MIR. Cleveland.
The Comprehensive "Plan" of the North
ern Pacific not Likely to Favor
ably Affect His Excellency.
Colonel Gray's Short Interview With the
President not Believed TO Have
Helped the Road.
The Attempt to Drive Miller Out OF the
Case not Expected TO be
Notable Success.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 19.-Nearly a
week ago Col. Gray, the counsel for the
Northern Pacific Railroad company, ar
rived in Washington and succeeded III
advertising through partisan papers the
great things which would be accom-
iished by him in his work before the
interior department. Republican CORE
spondents advertised his ''plan" at
once and gave the country to under
stand that the Northern Pacific would
soon have the bulge" on the president
and his policy. Col. Gray had plan,
notable ''plan,' which was as
clear as mud to certain parties,
by which he believed and they hoped
that the question of indemnity lands
could be settled with wave OF the hand
and Jove like nod of the head. There
was to be no contest, and everything
was TO be ostenSibly settled for the ben
eft of the settlers and the government.
Col. Gray and Nh. Mendenhall called
upon Secretary Eamar several times
with their scheme, and the assistant
attorney general united with the
secretary i'll giving a digniiied
hearing TO the plan" Attorney Gen
eral Montgomery is a learned LAWYER,
and Secretary Lamar is 10 tyro. 1t re-
quireS Il great deal Of VOL and of enor-
nous thickness to blilsl their eyes to
legal and technical points. They lis
tened carefully and respectfully to the
statements OF the learned counsel, and
interrupted them With numerous ques-
tons, as they proceeded to develop their
scheme. The gist of it all was the
presidents ill-advised letter on the
Guiiford- Miller matter" The words
''ILI.-ADNIsED"
were used imprudentiy, and no COM
ment was made by the listeners; but
they did not let the simple phrase eS-
cape them. The fact is that that ill
advised letter" was advised by the sec
rotary and the assistant attorney gen
eral. and the commissioner Of the
general land Office, as well as the attOr-
new general of the United States. Not
the smallest factor in the matter is the
commissioner of the general land Office,
who is absent. or was absent,
at the hearing of the counsel.
The 0nus OF the whole matter
was to be placed upon the general gov
eminent, because the lands in the Walla
Walia district have not all been sur
sci, the government and not the road is
responsible for existing difficulties The
counsel for the road said I'VE are not
disposed to be arbitrary" Certainly
not. The entire matter is in
the hands of the president,
through his agent, the secretary of
the interior. His power is arbitrary,
and the kindness and condescention of
OF the road was not apparent except in
verbose verbiage. The secretary has
not accepted the proposed plan nor
is there any likelihood OF his doing so.
Col. Gray called upon the president, but
his interview was short. The president
has Eow left
TIE ENTIRE MATTER
with the secretary of the interior. and
will take no action unless called upon
to do 50 bv some new feature III the case
as vet net apparent. 1t is not likely
that there will be any new features de-
veioped. The wh0le ground has been
gone over carefully and without haste
The ''iii-adyiSed letter" of the president
WAS the result OF calm deiiberation, and
it is not likely that it will be recon-
Sidered at an early date. Time is too pre-
ciouS. Other matters are more pressing
and more important. If the secretary
and tie president were to Te-hear this
case dis often SIS the road may choose to
send counsel to aShingt0n. public bust
ness would suffer. The attempt to
drive Miller out Of the ease by addi-
tional mountains of abuse TO be heaped
upon Gen. Sparks vii! fail The COM
missioner knew all about the case,
studied it long and knew what he was
about. 1t is not true that Mil
iyr has 10 standing with the
department except with Sparks.
He has standing with the secretary
and with tie president. and his name
was not dragged into the ease merely
for the purpose of being made ''an awful
example" as several imaginative speak
erS and writer's upon the subject have
been inspired to say. The secretary Of
the interior will take no adverse action
in this ease without consultation with
the president. 1t is said at the interior
department that the policy OF the adj
ministration has been formulated and
formally announced once for all, by the
president himself